


More Like Real Life

by dawniekins18



Series: High Hopes [2]
Category: Degrassi, Degrassi the Next Generation, Degrassi: Next Class
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-07
Updated: 2016-08-07
Packaged: 2018-08-07 07:20:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7705633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dawniekins18/pseuds/dawniekins18
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Winston just has some questions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	More Like Real Life

"So things have been really good with you and Tristan lately, right?" Winston asks as they walk through the school doors on Thursday morning.

"Yeah, pretty good. I mean, I put all of his stuff in a box last week, but that was stupid."

"But you guys had sex. And you haven't been in the newspaper. And he hasn't yelled at you in the parking lot recently."

"That was like months ago. And it was my turn to take the doll."

"My point exactly."

"What is your point?" Miles asks as he opens his locker.

"You're relationship with Tristan has now, like, gone on further in some ways than your relationship with Maya ever did."

"So?"

"I just find your sexuality fascinating."

"Huh?" Miles makes an expression of confusion and a little annoyance.

"I thought for a long time this was a phase or something. But now it's like maybe Maya was the phase. Which is odd because I've known you forever, but I can't figure this out."

"I find it odd you're thinking about it that much."

"Wouldn't you think it about if I started...I don't know, making out with Zig?"

"If it was Zig, I'd try as hard as possible not to think about it." 

"Bad example."

"Look, I'm going to be late for class. And Tristan has my math homework, can you be weird later?"

"I'm not being weird." Winston scoffs at the accusation. 

"Sure Winston, I'll see you after school."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Winston can't help but reflect on the conversation for the rest of the morning.

Was he being weird? He doesn't think he was. 

When this whole Miles/Tristan thing started, it felt like...judgmental to say anything. And honestly, he did think Miles was doing it for all the wrong reasons. He even tried to prepare Tristan for the eventual fall out, sympathizing with the new Miles' victim.

He's been friends with Miles a long time. And he had never mentioned anything that made Winston think he might be gay.

Miles loves girls. 

But now it's obvious that Miles also loves Tristan.

Can't a best friend ask some questions?

"Hey Winston, have you seen Zo?" Tristan plops down next to him in the cafeteria at the start of lunch. 

"She had some appointment. She said she'd be back though."

"Cool." Tristan opens his lunch, and starts eating some wrap thing.

And Winston sees his opportunity, if Miles isn't a talker- Tristan definitely is. And they're like friends now.

"You and Miles have been together a while now."

"Four months, but whose counting?"

"What's that like?" Winston tries to keep his voice causal. He's not prying, just curious.

Tristan sends him a suspicious look, but responds nonetheless. "It's good. He's different this time. Not as...self destructive. But all the other stuff is the same."

"What stuff?"

"Like the stuff we like to do together. The things we talk about."

"What do you guys do together?" Winston doesn't even know why he bothered with Miles. Tristan is an information gold mine.

"We like the same bad T.V., the same books. I mean, I don't get all those shooter video games, but that's what he does with you. It's like last time was us fumbling around trying to fit something together when we both were so unfitty. Ya know?"

Winston does not. But he nods so Tristan will keep talking.

"Now, I appreciate the time we spend together. But there's less pressure. I felt like all he had last time, and I felt like he was all I had. I clung so hard to the idea of him, and he was clinging to me for equally shitty reasons. Real recipe for disaster." Tristan opens a container of baby carrots with hummus and starts chomping away. 

"So it's all about shared interests?" Winston must not sound very convinced because Tristan looks up from his lunch, eyes slightly narrowed.

"There's a lot that goes into a relationship, Winston." 

"I'm sorry if I'm being nosy, but Miles doesn't really like to share."

"What do you want to know?" Tristan is giving him the same confused and slightly annoyed look that Miles gave him this morning.

"I... is it weird for you that he's mostly been with girls?"

Tristan pauses, carrot halfway to his mouth, looking shocked. He puts that carrot down carefully. "I mean it's not, not weird."

"And last summer, he got with Zoe after breaking up with you."

"I actually broke up with him, thank you."

"But still..."

"Look Winston, I'm gay in the same way you're straight. So I don't really get Miles either. But if you were dating a girl who also dated girls, would you spend all your time wondering about it? Or enjoy it for what you had?"

"I don't know. I never really thought about it."

"I mean, I hadn't either. But if I don't want people judging me for liking guys, how can I judge Miles for liking girls too?"

"I don't judge him. It's just hard to understand."

Tristan eats the forgotten carrot, staring a little past Winston's head, lost in thought for a moment. "I guess for Miles, gender just doesn't play into it as much. I know he loved Maya, but he says he loves me too. Not just physically, but he loves me for who I am. So I do the same for him."

"And you don't worry he'll go back to Maya or some other girl?"

Tristan shrugs. "He could leave me to be with you if he wanted. Like in any relationship, I just have to trust he wants me for me. People don't stay together because they're straight or gay. Sexual preference doesn't make or break a relationship, me and Miles broke up for like ten reasons outside that. And we're not together because we're both guys who like guys. There has to be more than that."

"Huh." Winston thinks about that for a long moment.

"Look, this was fun and all, but I gotta check in at the Student Council office. Tell Zo to catch up with me after English, ok?" 

"Yeah, will do." 

Tristan grabs his bag and leaves the table. Winston watches him go, and sees him run into Miles.

They talk for a second at the entrance of the cafeteria. Miles grins at something Tristan says, then he takes his hand, and they leave together.


End file.
